Abstract Detail

Mycology

Gil, Juanita [1], Miles, Timothy [2], Rojas, Alejandro [1].

Comparative genomics of plant-associated binucleate Rhizoctonia spp.

The Rhizoctonia species complex in the family Ceratobasidiaceae is commonly associated with its pathogenic lifestyle causing diseases in crops of economic importance. However, this family comprises saprobes and mycorrhizal symbionts associated with orchids. Based on hyphal recognition, anastomosis groups are distinguished within two major groups: multinucleate and binucleate, which differ in genome sizes, host specificity, and number of secreted proteins, suggesting differences in pathogenesis or plant associations. While genomes of multinucleate anastomosis groups have been assembled and their pathogenicity mechanisms studied, binucleate isolates have not been equally described. Given this diversity and lack of information for binucleate isolates to date, studying the genome of multiple anastomosis groups remains necessary for a better understanding of the species. In this study, we present the draft genomes of binucleate Rhizoctonia isolates, which were assembled de novo using Nanopore sequences. Assemblies ranged from 72.8 to 82 Mb in length. Completeness of the genomes showed more than 75% complete ortholog genes based on BUSCO content. Between 17,223 to 19,452 genes with an average length of 2,108 nucleotides were annotated per genome. Pairwise comparisons of read alignments were carried out to understand sequence similarities between collected isolates. Moreover, carbohydrate active enzymes (CAZys) were identified from predicted proteomes based on sequence homologies. We observed that there are no significant variations within CAZy families among the tested isolates and the largest family was glycoside hydrolases, representing about half of the predicted CAZys. These preliminary genomic resources provide a framework for future comparative analyses and the understanding of microbe-host associations.

1 - University of Arkansas, 495 N Campus Dr, PTSC 217, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, United States
2 - Michigan State University, Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, 578 Wilson Road, Room 105, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA

Keywords:
Rhizoctonia
genomics
plant-fungal interactions
nanopore
Mycology.

Presentation Type: Poster
Session: MYP3, Mycology Posters III
Location: /
Date: Wednesday, July 21st, 2021
Time: 5:00 PM(EDT)
Number: MYP3013
Abstract ID:814
Candidate for Awards:MSA Best Poster Presentation Award by a Graduate Student